Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Rys'tihn Manor
2.5 APC

Slowly waking for the morning, Elena rolled over in bed and was surprised to find herself alone. Koril was already gone, and he had even made his side of the bed before he left, perplexing her. She was a light sleeper and almost always woke up when she felt him stirring, but she couldn't remember feeling or hearing him leave earlier, and it wasn't like him to not leave her a message. It was still somewhat dark outside but late enough that the Manor's morning staff would be busy preparing breakfast, so she rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes as she got up and began getting ready for the day.

She could tell that Koril was still on Paneau, but he was no longer within the Manor. He hadn't told her of any meeting he had scheduled, and if he had left in an emergency, she would have felt the change in his emotions. They had made the best of their night together at the concert, even after the trouble Brylie gave them, and they had gone to bed as usual, with nothing out of the ordinary. He had, however, suffered a terrible nightmare in the early hours of the morning, waking her, as well, but he was unable, or unwilling, to tell her what it was about. He seemed to be intensely worried about her well-being suddenly since he had disturbed her sleep, but she figured he could have just been reverting to his habit of being overprotective that he had developed during her pregnancy with Derek. Having just learned of her second pregnancy the night before while talking at the concert, he had immediately become apprehensive about it, afraid their next child would be adversely affected by the Huxnel virus as he had. His nightmare could have been a reflection of his concern, she thought, and maybe he had gone for an early morning run to clear his mind.

She was glad to see him getting back to his former physical shape, though he still had a ways yet to go. His body had been through hell over the past two and a half years, and his overall health had paid dearly for it. Of course he wouldn't admit it, but his heart was still recovering, and she worried about him daily. She was even afraid to let him fly, concerned that the stress or pressurization would cause problems...

But as far as she could tell, he was fine; she just wished she knew where he was. As the wife of Paneau's High Commander and close friend of and advisor to the King, she was in a considerable position of power, but she still didn't always know everything that was going on. After tightening her belt around her waist, she clipped her lightsaber to it and tugged her shirt straight, gently patting the wrinkles from her pants. She had recently gotten away from wearing her formal Jedi tunic, afraid the look might cause confusion. She was still a Jedi, but she had made her decision to serve the people of Paneau alongside Koril where she had found a home. She was a Rys'tihn, and though she wasn't a pilot, she was involved with the Royal Forces and with the King's security advisors as much as possible.

Stepping around the corner from her room as she finished braiding her long black hair and tossed it behind her, Elena saw Kollie already getting Derek dressed, though he was making a game out of giving her a hard time. Just as Elena reached them, Kollie tugged his shirt over his head as he squealed, smiling excitedly at his mother and extending his bare arms out to her.

"Good morning, m'lady," Kollie greeted her with a laugh, having to wrangle Derek's arms to finish dressing him. Elena laughed, too, as she watched, happy to see Derek more comfortable with his caretakers. Her week-long absence had been hard on him, but he was already looking better. Finally pulling his other hand through his sleeve, Kollie tickled his tummy where he had begun to pull his shirt back up, sending him into a fit of giggles. As he squirmed, Elena quickly rescued him, scooping him up into a tight hug in her arms.

"Good morning, my little trouble maker," she laughed as she kissed him on the cheek and sat him on her hip. His soft, dark hair was messy from his scuffle with Kollie, but Elena smoothed it with her hand easily as he yawned, still waking up. "Why are you still sleepy, sweetie?"

He rubbed his eyes drowsily, but looking to the entrance to their room, his expression brightened in anticipation. "Daddy?"

Realizing he expected Koril to be coming to see him, too, as he usually would every morning, she kissed him on the head again. "Daddy's not here," she sighed, looking to Kollie. "Have you seen him this morning?"

Kollie shook her head. "No, m'lady. I only got Derek up a few minutes ago, and he had been sound asleep in his crib."

Trying to keep from getting discouraged, she nodded to Kollie and returned her attention to Derek who had grabbed hold of her braid, feeling it in his hands curiously. "Ready for some breakfast? Are you hungry?"

Though still fascinated by the texture of her hair in his hands, he nodded emphatically. "Hungee."

"Okay," she smiled as she inclined her head and pretended to nip at his hands. He laughed and tried to twist away from her, but she turned him in her arms, cradling him in her hold as she kissed him repeatedly all over his face. Again he squealed and giggled, and as she put him down onto the floor, he took quick, wobbly steps toward the door, and she and Kollie followed, barely keeping up as he enthusiastically made his way downstairs.

As she thought, most of the Manor's staff was already up and eating breakfast in the main banquet hall on the first level, and she even saw Raen sitting with Cordira Natiyr at one of the tables. As she followed behind Derek listening to his excited babbling that picked up as he saw Cordira, too, Major Jax approached them in the middle of the atrium, smiling in amusement as he watched Derek, as well.

"You sure have a lot to say today, Little Commander," Jax observed with a laugh, but Derek hardly acknowledged him, continuing on into the hall while still spouting gibberish that sounded faintly like orders. But sensing that Jax had business to discuss with her, Elena sent Kollie on with Derek, content that he would be well occupied with Cordira's company for the time being.

"How are you this morning, m'lady?" Jax inquired kindly as he turned back to face her once more. "Well rested, I hope?"

Elena rolled her eyes with a grin. "Major, I just spent the past week being well rested. I'm ready to get back to work."

Jax nodded. "I understand. You're planning on going to the Banarecc Estate today, I take it?"

"Yes, at least for part of the day." She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression becoming more serious. "I know there are a few Governors wanting to bring to King Verojec's attention some financial proposals, and I want to make sure they're not...too demanding."

Again Jax nodded. "Have you coordinated with the High Commander?"

"Not yet." She paused a moment, looking at him curiously. "Do you know where he is? He was gone when I woke up, and he didn't leave me a message."

Jax's surprise at her question quickly shifted into mild alarm, heightening Elena's concern. "No, m'lady. He didn't have any plans this morning that he shared with me." Getting the attention of another guard in the hall and motioning him over, Jax pulled his comlink from his pocket. "I'll try to raise him --"

"Wait," Elena interrupted him, holding her hand up in thought as she sensed him close and looked toward the large doors that connected the Manor to its hangar. Moments later, it swooped open with ease despite its lumbering weight, and Koril stepped inside, followed closely by Kaydee who eventually left his side, heading toward the main comm room. He met Elena's gaze with a pleasant smile even though she still looked worried, and it didn't change as he approached them, oblivious to their concern.

"Looks like I got back just in time," he said as he leaned in and kissed Elena on the cheek. Though he tried to make his voice seem like he was alright, Elena could tell that something was off. He looked exhausted and pale, despite his best efforts to hide it.

"Sir, are you alright?" Jax asked quickly, having made the same observations Elena had. But Koril's expression still remained the same as he looked between the two, smiling weakly.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a little tired. Where's Derek?"

"He's eating breakfast with Cordira, Kollie, and Raen," she answered reluctantly. Though still worried about his condition, she continued. "Where have you been this morning?"

Turning to look into the banquet hall for Derek, he glanced back briefly to answer her. "Surprise inspection at the Mazari Hangar. I wanted to see how the new fighters are doing, and how much repair is being done on the old ones."

Jax still seemed unsettled. "You didn't inform me about it, Sir..."

Koril looked back again with a grin. "If I had, it wouldn't have been a surprise inspection, then, would it?"

Before Jax could respond, Koril returned his attention to the banquet hall entryway where Derek was running toward him excitedly, followed closely by Cordira who seemed to think she was supposed to chase him. Kollie and Raen tagged along, too, but as Koril swung Derek up into the air to his happy squeals, they hung back, keeping an eye on Cordira as she tugged at Koril's pants leg to be swung around, too. Elena had to smile as she watched Koril with the two toddlers, forgetting her worries for a brief moment...until she looked back at Major Jax who remained frustrated.

"I'll talk to him about it, Major," she reassured him with a sympathetic smile, and though he still didn't look happy about it, he nodded, reverting the subject back to their previous conversation.

"How long do you anticipate staying at the Banarecc Estate, m'lady?"

"Hopefully not much past midday. I'm supposed to see Sol Gedall later this afternoon before he meets with the InterRel Board, but that's flexible depending on these Governors. I know a few of them are fairly intense and are dead set on getting their proposals met, so I hope King Verojec can handle them alright."

After Cordira got her turn being gleefully spun around in Koril's hold, he put her back down next to Derek, and returning to their game of chase she had started earlier, she tagged Derek and took off giggling. Though Derek didn't quite understand what to do as she ran away, Koril took his hand and began the chase with him, encouraging him to catch up to her. Elena laughed and shook her head, returning her attention to Jax once more.

"I'll have a transport and a guard escort ready for you in a few minutes."

She rolled her eyes with a grin. "Major, we're been through this before; that's not necessary. The King's Scepter Guard will be there, the Elite Guard will be there, and I'm sure the Governors will be bringing guards of their own. I think I'll be okay."

"These aren't my suggestions, m'lady," Jax countered strongly, "they're mandates from the High Commander when you're meeting with more people than just the King. All members of the Royal Families have guard escorts at official functions."

"Fine," she sighed lightly, "I'll be talking to him about that, too, since he thinks he's above his own policies."

Finally cracking a smile again, Jax laughed a little at the irony, shaking his head. "Well, if you think you could get away before he notices, I'll tell him that when he asks."

"Oh, you better not," she laughed. "I like having you here every da--"

Cutting off her words, she suddenly felt like her breath had been stolen from her as her heart seemed to stop, forcing her to gasp. She brought a hand to her chest as Jax gripped her shoulders in alarm, but the feeling subsided as quickly as it came, leaving her breathless.

"M'lady! What's wrong?"

Still calming her breathing, she could only answer by shaking her head in confusion, but something was weighing heavier and heavier on her mind, and it was becoming impossible for her to focus...

"High Commander!!"

Turning toward the panicked shout behind her, Elena saw both Kollie and Raen sprinting across the atrium to where Koril lay, suddenly face down and motionless on the stone floor. Derek was still at his side, crouched down as he patted Koril's arm curiously to rouse him, unsure why his father was no longer responsive. Elena felt her lungs freeze again in disbelief as she realized what she had just experienced - Koril's heart had stopped, not hers.

With Jax just a step ahead of her, they both raced toward Koril as Kollie and Raen quickly gathered the children out of their way. More guards descended around Koril to help, too, rapidly crowding the hall. With the sudden, frantic activity he couldn't understand, Derek began crying in Raen's arms, heightening Elena's anxiety.

"Get them out of here!" she demanded, sending the nannies away with the two children as she and Jax knelt at Koril's side, quickly rolling him onto his back to assess him.

Jax pressed his fingers into Koril's neck on both sides, but Elena already knew that he wasn't going to feel anything. "No pulse," he declared with alarm as she leaned over Koril's pallid face, listening intently for any breathing sounds and watching to see if his chest moved. Nothing.

She shook her head with a pained expression as she sat back on her feet, and Jax immediately began chest compressions to keep blood moving through Koril's lifeless body.

"I want a med transport here now!" Elena ordered as she looked up at a nearby guard who nodded and left swiftly. "You," she began at another guard, "find Rech Natiyr!" The second left as quickly as the first, but feeling the collective weight of the dozen other worried gazes surrounding her, she looked back down at Koril, brushing his hair back from his forehead with her hand. His skin was already cool and clammy to the touch, sending a chill through her. Jax paused the compressions briefly, allowing her time to breathe twice for Koril as she silently begged him to wake. The seconds passed with torturous anguish as Jax continued working, but Koril's condition remained the same...

Rech, help!!

Another round of compressions, another two breaths, and still nothing. Again, and again, and again, until Jax tired and was replaced by another guard. Numb shock was beginning to set in as more precious time went by, stealing with it any remaining hope she had for his survival. She didn't want to believe it; she couldn't be losing him, not again...

She hardly heard Rech's footsteps as he flew down the atrium's main stairway toward them, nearly sliding on his knees into the guard still doing chest compressions. As the guard sat back and moved out of Rech's way, Elena checked Koril's pulse again, desperate to feel something.

"What's wrong??" Rech asked anxiously as he touched his fingertips to Koril's forehead, using the Force to determine his condition. Elena could hardly speak.

"His heart just...stopped..."

Rech looked up at her, barely masking his alarm as they locked gazes. He seemed to have already discerned the problem, or at least he knew the extent of the damage, but he didn't want to believe it, either. Looking back down on his friend, he moved his hand and pressed it flat against Koril's chest, concentrating as he closed his eyes.

No one moved, no one breathed as Rech worked, all intensely focused on Koril for any sign of life. A quick, barely noticeable twitch from him was his only response as Rech sent a jolt of Force energy through him to restart his heart, but nothing else changed. He tried twice more, furrowing his brows together to concentrate harder, and again, nothing.

"Come on, Koril!" Rech begged almost angrily, sending another jolt. With the next three, Elena could feel her own heart slowing as she sensed his life force beginning to fade away. Jax knelt beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to steady her as she weakened in her grief, and as Rech gave one last tremendous effort, she leaned against Jax, feeling her breath leave her in her sorrow...

But Rech sat back after a moment, looking down once more as Koril weakly fought to draw in a few shallow breaths that lengthened each time. Rech kept a hand pressed against Koril's neck as his breathing evened out, and as Elena watched them both, waiting for confirmation, Rech nodded after a moment, though he still looked concerned.

"What happened?" Rech asked, nearly breathless. Elena could barely shake her head as she picked up Koril's hand at his side and held it tightly, elated to feel his pulse at his wrist again.

"We don't know. He was fine, playing with the children, then I looked back and he was on the floor..."

"He was pale and very tired looking earlier, Sir," Jax added, and Elena nodded.

"And his skin was cool." His hand in her grasp was still cooler than normal, but he was beginning to warm up. She watched Rech's contemplative expression for a few moments before she spoke up again. "What's wrong with him?"

Rech shook his head. "I'm not sure." Looking up at the guards surrounding them, he glanced between them. "Is there a med transport on the way?"

"It's landing on the front lawn right now, Sir," one guard answered from the back of the group.

"Good," Rech nodded, looking back down at Elena and Jax. "I'll go with him. You can come with us or meet us at the med center."

Elena answered immediately. "I'm going with you." She looked at Jax beside her, and he nodded, as well.

"I'll go with you, too."

As the medics with a repulsor board were being directed inside by guards stationed at the main entrance, Jax stood and spoke with his guards, delegating duties to the Manor in his absence. Still in shock over everything that had just happened, Elena simply clung to Koril's hand in stunned silence at his side as they quickly loaded him up into the transport with Rech and Jax climbing in behind her.

Paneau: Dalon
Dalon Medical Center

A steady swarm of activity constantly blocked Elena's view into Koril's room as she stood outside it, but what she could see of him for a few brief moments took her back to the days of his most desperate health struggle. The Huxnel virus had so violently ravaged his body that even after it had been destroyed, his life had hung in the balance every day for months. She saw him connected to the same kinds of monitors, wires, and tubes as before, but at least he was still breathing on his own with the subtle aid of a breath mask. Though she wasn't cold, she could feel herself shaking in extreme anxiety as she waited. The foreboding feeling she had noticed in the back of her mind for several days had become impossible to ignore, and she sadly wondered if this was what it had been warning her about.

Royal Guards silently flanked her in the hall, but she knew none of them, making it easier for her to keep her emotions in check. But if any of the Edgepoints or Royals showed up as she expected they would, she might have a more difficult time. Feeling her eyes beginning to tear up from the thought, she pushed it from her mind and released a shaky breath, focusing instead on Rech who was inside with Koril.

"M'lady," Major Jax greeted her softly as he returned to her side. His eyes were so full of care and concern, she had to look away, swallowing hard to quell her trembling. "Any word?"

She shook her head, biting her lower lip. "They're still working on him."

Without looking to her side, she could tell Jax had glanced into the room briefly, but his gaze instead lingered on her. "...is there anything I can get for you?"

Again she shook her head, but beginning to feel a wave of emotion overwhelm her, she turned away from Jax, and from Koril's room, as she brought a hand to her face over her mouth before audible sobs escaped her. Her entire body shook as she fought to both contain and release her weeping, and feeling Jax's comforting hand on her shoulder, she covered her eyes to halt her tears and hide her face. She hated showing her emotions publicly, most especially so to her closest and most trusted friends, but she couldn't control her sobbing. Jax waited patiently at her side for her to calm, and finally feeling her grief subsiding, she focused on slowing her breathing.

"I'm sorry," she managed quietly in between brief gasps. "I shouldn't be like this." She dried the moisture from her cheeks as she turned back to Jax, giving a short, sad laugh. "I've been through this before."

But Jax looked nothing but sympathetic. "It's okay," he soothed, still with his hand on her shoulder. "It was a scary thing, especially since it happened so suddenly."

She nodded, releasing another shaky breath as she looked back into Koril's room. Most of the medics who had been tending to him had left, and Rech was the only one remaining at his side, though he was deep in concentration, healing him. The sight again brought back vivid recollections of her time at his bedside when she was certain she was going to lose him, and it weakened her once more. Jax quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently led her to a bench to sit on, again giving her time to compose herself. She held her face in both hands for a few minutes as she hunched over, supporting herself with her elbows on her knees. Though she heard a door sweep open nearby, she didn't look up until she heard Rech's voice in front of her.

"He's stable," he reported softly, "and he's breathing well on his own."

Far from relieved, she read his expression as he hesitated to go on. "...but?"

He sighed. "But his heart has slowed again. Not dangerously, but whatever happened has set him back about six months."

Jax spoke up just as quietly. "Why did it stop in the first place?"

"I'm not sure yet. We're running some tests right now, but I did notice when I was trying to restart it earlier that it seemed like it was...tired, like it had been working too hard for too long."

Still fighting intermittent sobs, she hardly had the courage to speak. "What would make it do that?"

Rech shrugged. "Could be a number of things: delayed damage from the virus, a change in the nerve pathways to his heart muscles, the influence of a drug of some kind..."

None of his explanations comforted her; they made her feel worse, and as she lowered her gaze to the floor, Jax again placed his arm around her shoulders to console her. The regret in Rech's voice was evident as he continued carefully.

"We'll know more soon. I have him in a light coma right now so his body can...recover. He went a long time without breathing, but the work you two did to keep blood circulating will have helped. Still...we won't know the extent of tissue damage until he wakes up."

Elena nodded sadly, and without looking up at Rech, she spoke with a toneless voice. "Can I sit with him?"

"Of course. It helped last time."

Shedding Jax's hold, she wordlessly stood and entered Koril's room, taking her place at his side as she pulled a chair over to him. She saw Rech and Jax continuing to converse solemnly in the hall behind her, but she returned her attention to Koril, looking him over as he lay flat on his back under a heavy blanket. It was so familiar, yet still so hard to think him weak and maybe even dying again, and as she picked up his hand and curled it around her own, she released a long shaky breath, desperate to keep herself together. Her hormones were making it difficult, but she drew on the Force to calm her nerves. As a fleeting thought, she gently brushed a tendril of the Force through his heart, and hearing the monitors accelerate with its quickened pace, she smiled a little and kissed his fingers, resting her head beside his.